I can’t stand tea. Hot tea, iced tea, “sweet tea,” unsweetened tea, bubble tea, milk tea, black, green, white, oolong…I just don’t like tea.

Growing up in the southeastern United States, commonly known as “the South,” I saw tea all the time. I heard about it in commercials. I was offered tea at gatherings, at school, and at my friends’ houses. Usually I saw “sweet tea,” sweetened iced tea, but at home my parents liked both sweet tea and hot tea. They put milk and sugar in their hot tea, turning it into a lovely creamy brown color. Now that I live in the far west side of the US, I’ve been exposed to a wider variety of teas. I see a lot of Earl Grey and those fancy pop-the-straw-through-the-plastic bubble tea drinks all the cool college kids sip. Everyone seems to have a favorite style of tea, whether it’s herbal or fruity or flavoring their ginger ale.

Am I put off? Yes, a little. See, while I’ve known about tea all my life, it’s been weird to admire the related elements of it without actually enjoying the beverage itself. Having leaves in a drink looks so fresh and appealing. All of the colors of tea from golden yellow to reddish brown to dark chestnut look so tasty. And teapots and kettles? Could they get any cuter?

*sigh* And that’s just the aesthetic side of the appeal of tea. I also know tea can be healthy, with its wonderful antioxidants that can help prevent cancer and heart disease. I’d love to have a coffee alternative, especially when I’m sick (like right now, actually). It’d be wonderful to have a soothing hot drink without all the sugar of hot chocolate or the acidity of coffee. You’d think if I put enough honey, milk, sugar, syrup, or lemon, something, some combination would mask that tea taste I can’t stand, but so far I’ve yet to succeed. No gummy tapioca balls or peachy flavor or creamy addition has made tea enjoyable. I mean, I can swallow it, but I still don’t like it. Tea insists on tasting like tea, no matter what I do.

Why can’t tea at least look less appealing if it tastes bad? Such a tease.

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